[Horsell]

Maybe I am being too cynical but it seems that the majority of the electorate doesn’t really weigh the pros and cons of one platform, or leader or individual candidate against the other, they vote based on the past and not for the future.

A party could run a slate of Rhodes scholars but if the electorate doesn’t like their leader they probably won’t form the government. Despite the fact that our democracy is based on the election of local candidates (and very few actually get to vote for the leader of the party) people do tend to vote based on the party that they think can do the most for them, or NOT do the most TO them.